When British Mark I tanks first appeared on the Somme in 1916, German soldiers were often defenseless, attempting to use various improvised means against them. Later, a special armour-piercing 7.92 mm “K” (Kern) bullet with a steel core was developed, and cartridges with these bullets were included in the ammunition load of MG 08 machine guns.

In November 1917, the German command ordered Mauser to develop a specialised weapon — the Mauser Tankgewehr M1918 (T-Gewehr). It was the world’s first anti-tank rifle, created exclusively for destroying armoured targets. It was single-shot, operated by a two-man crew, had a calibre of 13.2 mm, and weighed 17.7 kg. This weapon could penetrate a 26 mm steel plate at a distance of 100 metres and 18 mm at 500 metres.

On the front, special units began to be formed to combat tanks, equipped with anti-tank rifles and machine guns. Anti-tank rifles were typically deployed in groups of 4–6 units along the main defensive line or just behind it. Machine guns were often placed in camouflaged positions to provide flanking fire. For effective use of anti-tank rifles, it was recommended to concentrate fire on the driver’s position and fuel tanks, while machine-gun fire was directed at the viewing slits of armoured vehicles.